Epistemic Structure of Islamic Philosophies of Education: Foundationalism or Coherentism

Epistemic Structure of Islamic Philosophies of Education: Foundationalism or Coherentism M.R. Madanifar N. Sajjaadiyeh, Ph.D. Given the two approaches to epistemology emphasizing foundationalism or coherentism, it is of interest to know if the epistemic structure of Islamic philosophies of education is related to any of these two or has a structure of its own, given that each of those approaches is faced with challenges that seem insurmountable. However, it is argued herein that the Islamic philosophies of education are best viewed as combinatorial mixtures of these two and can appropriately be named modified foundationalism. In this approach the overall structure is foundationalism, yet at certain junctures, such as those dealing with contemporary issues, or issues not justifiable irreligiously, emphasis is on coherentism. Key words:  educational philosophy, structure, foundationalism, coherentism, Islam